Friday: Hili dialogue

Well, I woke up today (June 24) to find out that the world has changed: Britain’s citizens voted to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum (technically, the result isn’t legally binding) and David Cameron has resigned as prime minister. Matthew has a few choice things to say about that, so hold your comments and discussion until I put up his post. In the meantime, let us first console ourselves with kittens listening to music:

On this day in history, besides Brits voting themselves into a disaster (2016), we have the first performance of the song O Canada in 1880. And, in 1916, the deadly battle of the Somme began.

Those born on this day include Fred Hoyle (1915), Anita Desai (1937), Mick Fleetwood (1947) and Lionel Messi (1987). Those who died on June 24 include Grover Cleveland (1908), Jackie Gleason (1987) and Paul Winchell (2005; who remembers him?) Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, the dialogue between cat and dog is puzzling. I asked Malgorzata for clarification and got this:

Cyrus probably mixes up “threshold value” with the concept of a threshold of pain. Hili answers that she can tolerate everything which doesn’t demand from her a swift action with her paw.

Yes, how dare the citizens of a country decide they’d like to govern themselves rather than be dictated to by a corrupt clique of unelected oligarchs.

Brexit is just the first step in the downfall of the EU. The unsolvable euro crisis and the equally unsolvable (within the EU) migrant crisis will hopefully cause the whole rotten structure to crash within a decade, possibly much less.

As a pro-Brexit Englishman I say that if the Scots want to go it alone, good riddance – and please take Northern Ireland with you when you leave.

So many Little Englanders left. When I moved to Canada, many years back, I had regrets. No more. I see what is left of the UK declining into irrelevance and am sorry for it but happy in my choice of a new home for my family. Egalitarian and forward looking. Most of the time anyway.

And I have chipmunks popping up every time I go into the garage, wanting more seed.

Just to remind you, England is many times bigger and richer than Scotland, Wales and Ireland put together. Wales voted Leave, alongside England, and will manage just fine together, whatever the Scots and Northern Irish decide to do.

I note that young people voted 75% to ztay. They could see the advantages of freedom of movement and employment. I read kon England and Wales will be sorry for what they have done. Little England rules.

The rise of English nationalism is both scary and sad. But it seems to be a reflection of a similar rise throughout Europe. Do we have to go through another European war to remind ourselves that working together is better. Because, and I dearly hope I am wrong, war is what I can see at the end of the path if the EU breaks up.

Exercising freedom, by definition, includes the right to make a poor judgement about one’s own life. Hence, respecting other people’s freedom includes accepting their judgements, unless they affect you or a 3rd party.
I am amazed that there are so many opponents of a vote that affects only the voters (i.e. the British), while 2 months ago, a EU nation cast a vote specifically to harm another nation, victim of military aggression – and not a peep!

There is no need to respect the judgements of others if you think the judgement is really bad. One can respect the right to make bad judgements without respecting the results of votes like this. To argue as you are doing is to equate “majority” with “correct”. Majorities often make bad choices and we have no obligation to pretend bad decisions are good.

Don’t be redikerous! How could I forget the voice of Tigger, Jerry Mahoney, and Knucklehead Smith?!?

I was pleased and surprised to learn from the Wikipedia entry (if accurate) that, in addition to his entertainment career, Winchell was an inventor with 30 patents, one of these being an early version of an artificial heart! On the negative side, Wikipedia also states that he worked as an acupuncturist and as a medical hypnotist, and had a rather unhappy personal life.

This despite the joy he gave to millions with his boisterous and delightful voice acting.

The EU has become an ever more intrusive, undemocratic and unelected authoritarian structure. Brussels (or rather technocrats in Brussels) decided what’s best for everyone (including, BTW, internet censorship).

There is an economic price to pay in the short term, but in this case I agree with Trump, the Brits are getting their country back.